Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus, a control method of the information processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there are growing demands for reducing power consumption of information processing apparatuses such as printers and digital multi functional peripherals (MFPs). In order to meet such demands, for example, there is developed a known technique that shifts an information processing apparatus from a normal power mode to a power saving mode if the apparatus does not operate for a predetermined period of time. In the normal power mode, power is supplied to both of a main control unit and a communication unit of the information processing apparatus. When the mode is changed to the power saving mode, however, although power is continuously supplied to the communication unit of the information processing apparatus, power to the main control unit of the information processing apparatus is blocked. Thus, the power consumption of the information processing apparatus in the power saving mode is reduced as a whole compared to when the apparatus is in the normal power mode. Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-259906 discusses a technique in which, if the information processing apparatus is in the normal power mode, the main control unit responds to a received packet sent from an external apparatus whereas, if the information processing apparatus is in the power saving mode, the communication unit responds to the received packet in place of the main control unit.
According to the above-described technique, the communication unit determines whether the received packet matches a response pattern stored in advance in the information processing apparatus. If the communication unit determines that the received packet matches the response pattern, the communication unit responds to the received packet. As the response pattern, for example, a status request, which is used for polling and output by an external apparatus to the information processing apparatus at regular intervals, is set in advance in the information processing apparatus. If such a status request used for polling is set in advance as the response pattern, since the communication unit responds to the status request in place of the main control unit, the information processing apparatus can maintain the power saving mode and the power consumption of the information processing apparatus as a whole can be reduced.
If the type of the external apparatus is changed or if a version of an application which operates on the external apparatus is upgraded, the type of the status request used for polling by the external apparatus at regular intervals may be added. In such a case, according to the above-described technique, the communication unit can respond only to the status request set in advance and not to the newly-added status request. Thus, on receiving the newly-added status request, the mode of the information processing apparatus is shifted from the power saving mode to the normal power mode. Accordingly, there is an issue that the benefit from the power saving mode (reducing power consumption) cannot be fully obtained.
This issue can be solved by adding the newly-added status request to the response pattern. However, in adding a new pattern to the response pattern, it is necessary to change the hardware of the communication unit. Changing the hardware of the communication unit leads to increase in cost. Further, since it is impractical to change all the hardware of the information processing apparatuses on the market, it is not desirable to add the newly-added status request to the response pattern.